Anti-antithesis

Hey, All. Glad you could make it to the start of Book 3 and to my longest chapter to date. 4k words, all from Doma's perspective, as well as a small glimpse into what I assume the Mars situation was like for the first wave of Samurai. As was mentioned many chapters ago, in Old Money Meets New Dangers, I was stuck in how I wanted to progress this arc, as I had a whole month of time I had to account for as I had timed things wrong for the trip to Japan, a thing that will happen in this book, I assure you. After all, I promised a cameo to a friend of mine and by the Sands she will get that cameo.

Alright, enough of my ramblings. Please enjoy this prologue, and may it whet your appetite for things to come.

The first wave of the Mars Assault was met with heavy resistance, with dozens of Samurai dying in the first few hours due to never before seen antithesis and their orbital defenses. Thankfully, due to the combined efforts of Samurai Starfall of The Family, Samurai Giga Drill of the Keiretsu, Samurai Foxfire of the Nachtwächter Netzwerk, and Samurai Ogun of the Orisha, we were successful in creating a F.O.B. in the Hellas Basin, yet have been unable to progress further due to a lack of manpower. We are currently in a holding pattern with the antithesis as we await the arrival of the second wave of Samurai reinforcements from Earth.

-Report written by Samurai Stenographer, archived for posterity, 2057

Doma

Stepping into Sub-orbital Command Center number Four should have been cause for celebration, as it was supposed to signal that one was about to begin their rest and recovery, yet I knew better, as those who came to rest were also very snippy and very willing to throw hands at the first misunderstood sign of aggression. I had been on Mars for a little over two months now, and the first time I truly rested was when Zealot, or Olivia, forced the majority of us to do so almost three weeks in, as an exhausted Vanguard was a liability to not only themselves, but everyone around them. A sound argument, yet one that almost fell deaf, exhausted ears. 

After some arguing between her and the Samurai leaders that came from multiple different Samurai organizations, a proper rotation schedule was set for those Tier IV and below, as we didn’t have the physique to survive without rest for months on end, forcing us to rest in accelerated healing tanks for a day, and maybe a day for "leisure", before jumping back into the endless hoards willingly. Well, most of us couldn’t at least, as people like Heracles definitely could. As for me, I was now on my third mandatory four day rest period, a "privilege" given to those who had management positions in their respective organizations.

Unfortunately, I would only really be able to use one, maybe two of those days to actually rest and recover, as one would be dedicated to upgrades and testing those upgrades, and another being dedicated to going over my recent combats in order to figure out my current weaknesses that needed to be covered, then finally reading the updates Jason, or Black Log, has been sending me before I could actually rest in that pod, which I knew would take more than twenty-four hours, considering how hard I pushed myself.

At the thought of those reports, I licked my lips unconsciously, remembering the joy I felt at reading about Victor’s antics from the very moment I left. From waging war with corporations and revamping the security system properly, to beating down the ego of those unruly PMCs, even uncovering a damn cult in my city that had been there for who knows how long, I had to admit, my niece had good taste and even better instincts to latch onto a thigh that thick and competent, even if it would make acting on my hobby awkward when I returned. I had never been with a snake man before, after all.

As the airlock’s decontamination protocols finished, causing the massive bulkhead to groan against itself as it opened, I was pulled from my thoughts as I remembered why I disliked resting on this thing. A small company bots in full, knightly plate armor saluted me from the other side of the bulkhead, clanking metal plates with no soul indicating that she was on board. Stepping into the sub-orbital command center properly, I took in the bare, lifeless promenade; full of gray, curved metals and dull lights, with not even a plastic ficus to liven up the atmosphere. 

I shook my head as I walked quickly towards my quarters, hoping to avoid running into that brat whose turn it was to run security around here. The heels of my combat armor clicked against the metal floors, echoing through the windowless hallways as I passed more and more knight bots clanking around, moving food trays from the kitchen to the various rest quarters and meeting rooms, moving equipment to the repair bays, or working on reinforcing the station and its sensors. The last one might be concerning in a normal setting, but considering how crafty those plants were, routine updates to sensors and equipment were more than required in order to simply make sure we didn’t accidentally bring in some hidden hitchhiker, something that happened to Station Two last week. Thankfully the damage was minimal, yet the security scare was enough to rewrite all of our engagement protocols.

As I finally turned the corner to enter the hallway where my resting quarters were, I was forced to stop dead in my tracks as I, of course, ran into the one woman I had hoped to avoid today. Cecily, or Queen Bitch, stood with her haughty pose and gaudy purple cloak and stupid jewel encrusted crown just in front of my door, which meant that she learned after my last break, though it seemed that she learned the wrong lesson.

I had a split second to decide how I wanted to handle this interaction, and unfortunately for me, my training in how to handle people and deal with politics took priority over my own comfort and fatigue, meaning I could not use my abilities to physically remove her from my presence. 

Her eyes lit up with joy as she locked eyes with me before she schooled her expression into one of actual professionalism, a rarity for her. “Lady Doma, while I know you need to rest, there is a situation that requires your direct input.” Her tone was respectful, as well, which did put me on alert, considering her usual antics.

I smiled as softly as I could, feeling even my facial muscles quiver in exhaustion at the act, hoping that her actions were an attempt to put me off guard so she could sleep with me rather than an actual problem. “And does this situation require my immediate attention, or could I take a shower first?”

My tone held a bit more steel in it than I intended, evident by the way her eyes crinkled in recoil. Unfortunately, she stepped forward and handed me a data pad. “Unfortunately, this demands an immediate response, given that it involves your Family Branch at the highest level. Especially since Zealot isn’t yet off of Mars, but she will be in a few minutes.”

Oh? That series of connections did not bode well. I ignored Cecily’s expression of delight as I took the data pad, our hands briefly touching as a small reward to her for coming to me with this first while also letting me know roughly how much time I had before Olivia became involved. I held no grudges or negativity towards the woman, as she was a workaholic like myself, but if this involved my territory, I wanted to deal with it first. Reading the information on the data pad, I felt my blood pressure rise at the audacity that some paper  pusher thought he could get away with.

Paladin, or rather Peter, was a small man with an ego far too big than he had any right to possess. A man who was the perfect archetype of middle manager, who could compile reports and make certain that rules and regulations were being followed, while also making sure those below him never realized how much contempt he held towards them for being lesser than him, even if that perceived superiority was only that, perceived on his end. And somehow, he was who Zealot put in charge of making sure Earth didn’t spontaneously fall apart while we were away. To be fair, he was perfect for that job, as although his combat potential was solidly Tier II, his managing skills were enough for the small stretch of time she and the rest of the Family Higher ups were away, especially if he gave regular reports to Starfall and Zealot.

I read his complaint and request for sanctions against Victor and the rest of my people for ignoring him and clenched the data pad hard, feeling the micro-fractures forming on the screen as a result. I saw that this complaint was filed a month or so ago, but was only recently brought forward to request a higher Authority to deal with, which was frustrating as it seemed to have come in shortly after my last break ended, meaning that my city has had Peter obsessing over it for the last few weeks, probably chomping at the bit to enforce his personal brand of petty bullshit on my people. 

Thankfully, I had the foresight to protect Victor and my Branch from things like him, meaning that Peter could only wait, observe, and document as he did not have the authority to enact his bullshit sanctions and punishments. Mercifully, I got to see this before Olivia did, meaning one less meeting I would have to sit through on my break.

I looked at Cecily once more, which caused her to shrink back slightly, probably due to my very obvious displeasure on my face, yet I also saw how her eyes were tinged in excitement, causing me to shiver slightly in cringe. One of the reasons I didn’t want to interact with her was the fact that she was a closet sub with slight masochistic tendencies, and that she wanted more from me than I was willing to give, as she had some serious baggage that I was not equipped to deal with, nor wanted to deal with. She was fun for that one night in New New York when we both went into the bedroom with understood expectations of a one night stand, but then she latched on to me hard, even after I tried to break things off cleanly. I had to thank her assistant for keeping Cecily on the East Coast all these years with a constant stream of gifts and favors, things I was more than willing to give to someone as capable as her.

I sighed softly as I copied the files to my augs. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Cecily. I will handle this before Zealot calls a meeting.” 

I motioned for her to move so I could enter my room, which she mercifully obliged. Before she could say anything else, I closed the door between us, having Gwyn lock it and isolate the quarters. “Gwyn, in your medical opinion, if I were to take enough stimulant to make it through this next task, how fucked am I?” I asked aloud, something I very rarely did since arriving on Mars.

Given your proclivity for theatrics in these matters, as well as how thorough you tend to be, you will be unavailable for thirty-seven hours as the fatigue renders you unconscious if you simply focus on this issue. However, due to the Priority One request you received from Jason, I expect you will be unavailable for an additional six hours, as well.

My eyebrows raised sharply as a sigh escaped from my lips at the time she quoted me. I sat down at my simple desk as I pulled up his request, before I felt my blood chill in my veins. My cousin, Damien, was just captured by Victor’s Customer Service Department in a raid, and as much as loved the name of his little gang, one that I wished I had come up with and used myself years ago, this situation was one that could put Victor in true, actual danger.

“Gwyn, I need to buy a new nervous system with expedited installation, as this is a situation that demands my immediate attention for an extended time with minimal resting time.” I said quickly, knowing the jab that was about to come my way.

Oh? You mean that one upgrade I kept mentioning you would probably need for years now that you refused to get due to your constant trust issues that you refuse to address or get treated, the trust issues that initially drew me to you yet have long since grown stale and annoying? The trust issues that have actively prevented you from growing strong enough to actually push back against your family’s elders and their constant attempts to take what is yours? I have just the thing!

I clenched my jaw at her ribbing, knowing that she was right even though I was desperate to refute it. Due to my upbringing, I could never fully trust others, as I always had to have some way to keep them under my thumb, to keep a leash on others, the one lesson from my mother that I could never discard. For most, sex worked wonders, as did blackmail and contracts and threats. For others, I simply made them trust me through a series of gentle tones and actions and favors, like what I was able to do with Victor after our first few interactions.

And yet, at some level I yearned to be able to trust someone, to be able to not have to weave my webs of control in every person around me in order to further my goals of safety and growth and freedom. Jason was the closest person I could honestly say I trusted, but even that wasn’t fully true, as I held too many of his secrets as insurance, almost like a reaction to being vulnerable. 

Yet, what nearly broke that mutli-decade resolve was the look Victor gave me when I administered the Forced Break to him, the pain of loss and failure that was front and center after he failed to protect Tsubuki, yet seeing it recede once his eyes landed on me to one of unconditional trust made me question too much of myself in that moment. He was a child, one who had seen too much of the darkness of humanity, yet he trusted me after barely a week of interactions. It made me doubt myself for the first time in years, especially considering what I read in Chi-Spy’s records. My initial motives were impure, yes, but I made a child that had no reason to ever trust anyone ever trust me, and I didn’t want to abuse that. It was actually a massive barrier that prevented me from seriously pursuing my hobby with him…

I shook my head quickly, yet softly, to shake out my wandering, tired thoughts “Give me the price.”

Eighteen tokens and two hundred and sixty-three thousand points for a Class V Storm Emperor Physique Racial Catalog and the prerequisite catalogs and the associated Atmospheric Dominance Nervous System with expedited installation, one that will take two minutes and will require you to be paralyzed as your muscles would tear you to pieces with their spasms otherwise. 

I knew I could afford that, as this last stretch of combat had awarded me four times that amount in points, though this would deplete my tokens to below my preferred safety threshold, but I had less than six minutes before Olivia arrived at the station and would force my hand with this Paladin situation, when I really needed to deal with my family instead. Not to mention that this would be my first Class V Catalog, allowing me the opportunity to catch up to Starfall herself in power, even if there might be restrictions to my actions they try to apply to me later.

“Do it.” I said, feeling my anxiety flood my veins at the thought of giving up control of myself once again, something I tried to limit to maybe once a year when I was on Earth due to my own trust issues, and yet this would be the third time in two months it has happened.

Unlocked Various Catalogs

Unlocked Class V Storm Emperor Physique Racial Catalog

Tokens reduced to 4

Points reduced to 858,256

Purchased Type VIII Atmospheric Dominion Nervous System with Expedited Installation

Points reduced to 748,256

A large box landed in front of me, which I ripped open quickly to see a huge canister attached to a hose and a needle injector, one that was rather large and designed to attach to my spine directly. I took a deep breath as I removed my combat suit and, in one quick motion, placed the needle on the base of my spine and activated it, causing it to latch onto me and pierce my back, forcing me to gasp hard as the air fled my lungs. 

I felt a frigid sensation rush from the impact point and spread throughout my body, causing it to stiffen painfully almost immediately while manually controlling my lungs and heart, followed by a burning, itchy sensation as all of the nerves in my entire body were burned away by liquid fire and replaced by something new, something stronger. In order to keep my sanity, I counted the seconds as they passed on the hands of the clock in my augs, then once I noticed that each second took longer and longer to pass, I shifted to counting the number of plants I killed today alone. Once my vision disappeared due to the fire reaching them, I focused on my breathing, something that also took longer and longer to do.

The entire process lasted a little more than two minutes in real time, yet by my personal count, I experienced three hours of constant stimulation. Thankfully, that did mean that, once my vision returned, I was able to draft, edit, and send my response to Peter and his entire line of bullshit reasoning, to the point that I counter penalized him with dozens of by-laws and even citing the protection I gave Victor that neither of them had any way of knowing about before I left. What was amusing was that I saw Synaptic, Victor’s AI, assist me by sending me her own observations and complaints against Peter, which made my job easier.

In fact, I was so efficient in this task that I was even able to send Olivia an update, telling her to keep her pet on a tighter leash before he picks a fight he cannot win and irreparable damages The Family’s reputation and ability to function in the process, citing the numerous bullshit “infractions” he leveled against my people for doing what they could to stabilize Earth against Bestle’s best attempt to burn everything down. As much as she might dislike Maniac for spurning her like they did, even she would have to push aside her grudges at this time. Once things calmed down and we were back on Earth, that may change, but I was more than willing to cash in favors if it meant Victor would not see repercussions from his objectively correct actions.

As the fire settled and dissipated, freeing me from the horrific bonds of paralysis, I laughed heartily as I felt all of my previous exhaustion having been burnt away with my old nerves. I gave myself a few seconds to take stock of my new condition and realized that I would need to purchase new muscles, bones, and implants in order to keep up with the Class V nerves, which would definitely wipe out the rest of my points and cause me to lose control of myself again, but that could happen later. No, what needed to happen now was that I had to make a call to my family in order to make sure that my people would still be there once I returned. Not to mention that I would have to talk to Victor soon enough to make sure he didn’t do anything to Damien in the meantime. Thankfully, Jason mentioned that Damien called out our connection, so he would not end up a T-Class subject under Morrigan’s care at this time.

My thoughts decided to wander into my memories of Damien, of his thinly veiled ambitions and of our younger years in our family’s academy. He was always a large man, both in size and ego, yet unlike Peter, Damien earned the right to have one that big. He had the charm, ability, and presence to back up his boasts and plans, and we worked well together in our little clique, together with Ambrose and Mariana. In our generation, we were the top dogs, and we made certain the rest of the family knew it.

Unfortunately, our arrogance must have rubbed the elders in the wrong way, as our graduation exam pitted the four of us against each other, with only Damien and I walking out of it alive, if heavily injured, something that I could only attribute to him showing me mercy. We were then separated, as tradition demanded, and I thought I would never see him again as I took residence in New Phoenix with my new identity. When I had next heard about him, I had initialized and was well on my way to become the Family Head of the New Phoenix Branch.

I remembered the shock that raced through me as I saw his file slide through my information network, letting me know that he had decided to settle in my city in order to set up his power base, as well as the relief I felt when I learned that he was alive at all. Once I made my true public debut in the world of politics, I of course did what I could to assist him quietly. A few policies here, a couple rerouted patrols there, as well as the removal of some problematic rivals when a Samurai needed a target in order to make a name for themselves. 

Nothing overt, nothing that could be tracked back to me, nor tie either of us together, but I also knew how smart he was, and that he would realize I was assisting him. It was to be expected, after all, considering he decided to move into my city, and he would have realized that the moment he saw my face in any of The Family’s local advertising. We never spoke, of course, not even a dead drop or a coded media ad. We didn’t need to, after all, as our training taught us that such actions would be detrimental in the long run, and if he was bothered by it, he would have either moved or let me know through his own actions and policies. To my immense surprise, he did his best to assist me from the shadows, as well. 

I chuckled at that thought, as a new realization dawned in me. He may actually be the only person I trusted in the entire world, and I have never so much as thanked him for going easy on me in our graduation exam. And now, here I was, about to trust two other people with the secret of our family all in order to make sure Damien lived.

I felt the station shudder slightly, indicating that the airlock finished its cycle, signaling that Zealot had returned and taking me out of my memories. Considering how I felt when I arrived, I probably had a few hours before she called a meeting to discuss the war efforts, meaning I could properly talk to both my right hand and my favorite newbie. This time, I licked my lips on purpose at the thought, curious at how Victor had grown over the last few months and if he would still look at me with those innocent, trusting eyes, or if my niece had turned him against me in an effort to protect him from me. 

Well, I’m sure the both of them would understand if I desired a little reward for my efforts in keeping Earth safe. But that call would happen later. First, I needed to make sure he would survive the next twenty-four hours.

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